If it seems like you’ve read that sentence before, it’s because you probably have. With the exception of a slight uptick in February 2014, the number of people taking the LSAT has steadily declined since October 2010. As I wrote when the December LSAT numbers were released, the decrease in people taking the LSAT is likely good news for people applying to law school now. Fewer people taking the LSAT means fewer law school applicants, which means less competition both for admittance and for scholarships. The good news, however, doesn’t stop there.

According to an article published in the Winter 2014 issue of PreLaw Magazine, though estimates of the exact time-frame vary, there could be more jobs than law school graduates as early as 2016.

You may have seen the Slate article that made the rounds on social media last week with the catchy title “Apply to Law School Now!” The premise of the article is, not surprisingly, that if you’re considering law school you should apply now. Why? Because the number of people graduating from law school has decreased, meaning that there’s less competition for entry-level legal jobs; if employment numbers for recent graduates hold, the percentage of recent graduates who find full-time, long-term employment will increase. Slate does point out a couple caveats – namely, that not all JD programs are created equal – but concludes that, due to the general upward trend, it’s a good time to be applying to law school.

While other news outlets are a little more cautious in their optimism than Slate, Slate’s article is consistent with the good news that we’ve been hearing about law school for months.

Well, at least one recent law student must not have been a MSS reader. A former Northwestern University School of Law student was expelled after it was discovered that he was a convicted felon, famous in Texas for posing as a lawyer. Whoops!

In what is certainly my favorite “news” story of last week, Shaquille O’Neal announced that he is considering going to law school (and is studying for the LSAT already). Unfortunately for the Big Shaqtus, there are a few unique obstacles he may face along the way to earning a J.D. Fortunately for all other prospective LSAT and law students, these obstacles can be a source of inspiration.

How Shaq Going to Law School Should Inspire You I: His Size

On the basketball court, Shaq’s massive physique was a tremendous asset; in an LSAT test center, it would be quite the opposite. To put this in perspective, I am an averagely built, 5’11” male, and I felt cramped by the combination desk/chair at my test center.

The undergraduate law major will involve classes in law, taught by real-life law professors. Much of the curriculum will resemble what’s normally taken in the first year of law school, though the Socratic method won’t be used quite so much.

The ABA might make it easier for certain applicants to get into law school without taking the LSAT.

Currently, you don’t really need to take the LSAT to get into law school. A law school can admit an applicant using some other admissions test, but it has to get permission first or pay a fine later. This alternative admissions procedure is rarely used, which is probably why you haven’t heard of it.